10 Years Of Importing GF Oats Into Australia

10 Years Of Importing GF Oats Into Australia

YES, we can’t believe it either, but we have been importing this beautiful product for 10 years. There have been many changes over this time but the best, we believe is yet to come.

Old fashioned steamed rolled oats make for a warm and yummy breakfast. A crunchy nutritional additive to biscuits and a great alternative to standard breadcrumbs. They are a superfood which not only tastes great but has many benefits for your health and wellbeing.

Many people in Australia are now choosing GF Oats as an alternative to the corn, soy, and sugar-laden products currently being supplied in the breakfast and snack categories for customers. These oats are Gluten Friendly, Vegan, GMO-Free, Organic, Wheat Free. And not exposed to contamination from the gluten-containing grains such as wheat, rye or barley. Even though these oats are the same oats marketed and certified as gluten-free all over the world, you will not find yourself in the shops seeing a gluten-free label on any oat brands due to current Australian labelling laws. Read more here…

What does gluten-free mean?

Gluten-free means that the product or ingredients within a product do not contain the gluten proteins. Products that have gluten-free claims on them are required to have a test result for their products displaying <3ppm. You can view GF Oats test results for each batch imported on our compliance page.

If you are purchasing a ready-made product that displays gluten-free such as biscuits, cake mixes, etc. it means that the ingredients that make up the product are all free of the gluten proteins.

Why aren’t oats labelled as gluten-free?

Although oats have been proved in studies to be naturally gluten-free, they contain an avenin protein that can cause T-cell reactions in 1 in 100 Coeliacs, they are unable to be labelled as gluten-free. Please refer to Current Research.

This is due to many different factors, primarily during the growing and processing stages of the oats. Oats are field grown grains which are subject to the environment around them. This means that birds flying by, eating on the harvest and leaving trails can affect the oats and risk there being contamination. Birds leaving their droppings can result in gluten-rich grains being dropped in the soil around the oats, left on the grains themselves and grow within the oat plants as well.

Many grain farmers also have multiple crops on their land or surrounding properties. Meaning that they may have a grain containing gluten being grown nearby to the oats and there is the risk of cross-contamination in the harvesting process as well through the machinery.

Australia has very strict labelling guidelines around oats based on a study completed in the early 2000s that resulted in 1 in 5 Coeliac patients reacting to oats. However, this study was conducted on contaminated oats and is why products such as oats cannot be labelled as gluten-free because of the risk of cross-contamination. In other countries such as the USA and UK, they are able to be labelled as gluten-free if they are grown and processed without the risk of cross-contamination.

OATS STUDY UPDATE

Recently we have an update on the oat study that is currently underway funded by the Coeliac Society of Australia. This study is halfway through a 3-year study and early indications are positive with the trials. Researchers are hopeful that on finalizing the study results, that a recommendation of a serving size of oats a day would be advised for Coeliac patients. A medical research paper published in 2017 in the US, showed that 1 in 100 patients had a reaction to uncontaminated oats. We here at GF Oats Australia are hopeful that they share similar findings and Food Labelling laws will be updated. Oats can provide patients with a nutritious breakfast and snack alternative to those currently offered. GF Oats are the only brand in Australia displaying testing results that meet Australian gluten-free testing standards.

Can you buy certified gluten-free oats?

You sure can if you live overseas, but here in Australia, you should not see a commercial product containing oats, albeit uncontaminated oats, labelled gluten-free. Our oats are harvested in America by GF Harvest and are tested before leaving America and again in Australia to ensure that there are no traces of gluten contamination in them.

We believe that Oats should be a part of your daily diet. They are a superfood that has many health benefits, but they won’t be suitable for everyone.

GF Oats are the largest suppliers of uncontaminated gluten friendly oats in Australia packed in compliant packaging that meets Australian standards.